Known for: Along with his wife Liwen Zhuang, coaching top U.S. powerhouse Shawn Johnson, who calls Chow her “second dad,” to greatness; making his protege part-Asian (“I have the precision and technique people admire in the Chinese and the power that’s typical of American gymnasts. It makes me stand out,” she’s said); bouncing back from the devastating floods in Iowa (Chow now resides in West Des Moines), which badly damaged his gym; being a member of the Chinese bronze medal-winning team at the 1989 World Championships.

Unlike most Hardass Gymnastics Coaches, Coach Chow can often be seen smiling and laughing on the sidelines. And now that he’s returning to his hometown as head coach of the women’s team with the all-around gold medal favorite in Johnson, he has plenty more to smile about.